Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (373 page)

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Authors: Timothy Darvill

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laminating
[De].
A process for the production of a high-quality metal tool or weapon by repeatedly forging out a blank form, folding the metal over, and forging it again so that qualities of malleability and hardness can be combined. See also
PATTERN-WELDING
.
Lammas
[Ge].
A traditional calendar festival in northern Europe that in recent times is taken as 1 August. It marked the end of the hay harvest when stock could be let into the meadows to graze. Also the beginning of the grain harvest.
lamp
[Ar].
A vessel of some kind to provide a reservoir for oil or other fuel to feed a light-giving flame via a wick. The simplest forms, known from the Palaeolithic onwards, are small hollowed-out stone basins. From classical times ceramic lamps with a special spout or pinched lip to take the wick were extremely common.
lamp-filler
[Ar].
A globular, narrow-mouthed jar with a projecting spout of very narrow bore. It was perhaps used for filling lamps or as an infant/invalid feeding cup.
lamp-holder
[Ar].
A shallow, flat-bottomed, asymmetric dish, shaped like the mouth of a jug, usually with a handle, found throughout the Roman world; thought to have been used as a container for an oil lamp.
lancehead
[Ar].
A projectile point of stone, bone, wood, or metal that is larger than an arrowhead but smaller than a spearhead. Lanceheads would have been used to tip light spears or javelins.
lanceolate
[De].
Anything which is lance-like or lozenge-shaped, tapering at both ends.

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